2008 GIRARDIN G5 Complaints and Recall Information
The 2008 GIRARDIN G5 has 0 complaints and 8 recalls filed with NHTSA. Owners most frequently report issues related to recalls affecting various safety and equipment systems, including vehicle structure, seating, electrical wiring, and wheelchair lifts.
The following recalls address multiple components and systems affecting safety compliance and operational reliability.
Recalls- Frame and underbody shields. (NHTSA recall 10V627000) Affected 112 vehicles. The sheet metal below the window inside the bus on the left side fails to meet joint strength standards due to missing adhesive between two aluminum sheets. This defect risks separation of the sheet in a crash, potentially injuring passengers. Dealers add adhesive and rivets free of charge; recall began January 5, 2011.
- Wheelchair lift restraint belts. (NHTSA recall 10V121000) Affected 103 vehicles. Restraint belts on Ricon S and K series lifts can appear latched when not fully engaged, allowing operation with an unsecured occupant. This risks injury if the lift moves unsafely. Ricon provides warning decals and training materials; recall started March 31, 2010.
- Emergency exit windows. (NHTSA recall 10V377000) Affected 130 vehicles. Thermal T-Slider or panoramic push-out windows with release mechanisms can tear the handle base spacer plate, causing failure to restrain occupants or operate exits in crashes. Owners will receive parts and instructions for repairs free of charge; recall began October 8, 2010.
- Passenger seats. (NHTSA recall 10V067000) Affected 582 vehicles. Some 39- or 45-inch seats were installed without reinforcement under the floor. In a crash, seats may fail to absorb impact energy properly, increasing injury risk. Dealers will repair free of charge; recall began June 29, 2010.
- Wiring harness near driver seat. (NHTSA recalls 11V319000 and 11V309000) Affected 45 and 143 vehicles respectively. Wiring harness trapped by raised floor rubs against metal molding, damaging insulation and risking electrical shorts and fire. Dealers will repair wiring free of charge; recalls started July 4 and July 5, 2011.
- Exterior warning lights. (NHTSA recall 11V228000) Affected 109 vehicles. Four-way warning lights lack an alarm to alert the driver if the stop arm fails to deploy when red lights activate, increasing pedestrian injury risk. Dealers will replace lights with units that have alarms free of charge; recall began June 2011.
- Wheelchair lift roll stop latches. (NHTSA recall 12V154000) Affected 13 vehicles. Roll stop latches on Braun Century-2 and Vista-2 lifts can bend or misalign with use, potentially allowing wheelchair occupants to fall if the platform is elevated. Repairs performed by authorized Braun dealers at no cost; recall started May 11, 2012.
Owners facing repeated repairs, unresolved recall issues, or safety defects with the 2008 GIRARDIN G5 may have rights under their state’s lemon law. Consulting with a consumer protection attorney can help determine the best course of action.
2008 GIRARDIN G5 Summary
2008
Model Year
0
Total Complaints
8
Total Recalls
1237
Vehicles Affected
Recalls
2008 GIRARDIN G5
13 vehicles affected
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 MICRO BIRD G5 TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH BRAUN CENTURY-2 AND VISTA-2 WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. OVER TIME AND WITH FREQUENT USE, THE ROLL STOP LATCHES ON THE OUTER BARRIER MAY BECOME BENT OR MISALIGNED.
Risk: A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT MAY DEFEAT OR RIDE OVER THE INSUFFICIENTLY LATCHED ROLL STOP. IF THIS OCCURS WHEN THE LIFT PLATFORM IS IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, THE WHEELCHAIR¬ÃS OCCUPANT COULD FALL AND SUSTAIN INJURY.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
143 vehicles affected
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 GIRARDIN G5 AND 2009 AND 2010 AND 2011 MICRO BIRD G5 SCHOOL BUSES BUILT ON FORD CUTAWAY CHASSIS FROM FEBRUARY 2006 THROUGH MAY 30, 2011. THE OEM CUTAWAY WIRING HARNESS PASSES JUST REARWARD OF THE DRIVER SEAT BETWEEN THE B PILLAR AND THE RAISED FLOOR. THE RAISED FLOOR JUST REARWARD OF THE DRIVER SEAT IS TRAPPING THE WIRE HARNESS CAUSING THE WIRES TO RUB AGAINST THE METAL FLOOR MOLDING, DAMAGING THE WIRE INSULATION.
Risk: A WIRE WITH DAMAGED INSULATION MAY CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH CAN LEAD TO A FIRE.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
109 vehicles affected
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 GIRARDIN G5 AND MBII AND MODEL YEAR 2010 AND 2011 MICRO BIRD G5 AND MB II SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 2006 THROUGH APRIL 5, 2011, FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 131, "SCHOOL BUS PEDESTRIAN SAFETY DEVICES." THE 4-WAY WARNING LIGHTS DO NOT HAVE AN ALARM TO ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE STOP ARM DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE 4 RED LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED.
Risk: THE DRIVER COULD ERRONEOUSLY THINK THAT THE SCHOOL BUS STOP ARM IS DEPLOYED WHILE THE FIRST SET OF 4 RED LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED. THIS CONDITION INCREASES RISK OF INJURY TO PEDESTRIANS.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
45 vehicles affected
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 GIRARDIN G5 AND 2009 AND 2010 AND 2011 MICRO BIRD G5 NON SCHOOL BUSES BUILT ON FORD CUTAWAY CHASSIS FROM FEBRUARY 2006 THROUGH MAY 30, 2011. THE OEM CUTAWAY WIRING HARNESS PASSES JUST REARWARD OF THE DRIVER SEAT BETWEEN THE B PILLAR AND THE RAISED FLOOR. THE RAISED FLOOR JUST REARWARD OF THE DRIVER SEAT IS TRAPPING THE WIRE HARNESS CAUSING THE WIRES TO RUB AGAINST THE METAL FLOOR MOLDING, DAMAGING THE WIRE INSULATION.
Risk: A WIRE WITH DAMAGED INSULATION MAY CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH CAN LEAD TO A FIRE.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
582 vehicles affected
SEATS
CORP. MICRO BIRD, INC. HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A NONCOMPLIANCE IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 G5 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2006 AND FEBRUARY 15, 2009, EQUIPPED WITH 39 OR 45 INCH SEATS. THE BUSES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 222, "SCHOOL BUS PASSENGER SEATING AND CRASH PROTECTION." SOME SEATS WERE INSTALLED WITHOUT ANY REINFORCEMENT UNDER THE FLOOR.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT MAY NOT ABSORB SUFFICIENT ENERGY TO RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED AND IT COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH TO THE OCCUPANT.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
130 vehicles affected
EQUIPMENT
CERTAIN GIRARDIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 AND MICRO BIRD BY GIRARDIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2010 G5 AND 2003 THROUGH 2006 GIRARDIN MB IV TRANSIT BUSES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 217, "BUS EMERGENCY EXISTS AND WINDOW RETENTION AND RELEASE." THE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THERMAL T-SLIDER OR PANORAMIC TYPE PUSH-OUT WINDOWS WITH 2 RELEASE MECHANISMS (ONE ON EACH SIDE). THE WINDOW HANDLE BASE SPACER PLATE CAN TEAR DUE TO THE ROTATION OF THE EXTERIOR WINDOW FRAME.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE EMERGENCY EXIT COULD NOT SUFFICIENTLY RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT(S) OR BECOME INOPERABLE. THE OCCUPANT(S) COULD BE THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE OR NOT BE CAPABLE OF OPENING THE EMERGENCY EXITS WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT(S).
2008 GIRARDIN G5
103 vehicles affected
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
CORP. MICRO BIRD HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2010 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 2007 AND MARCH 2010 FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE S AND K SERIES WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. THE RESTRAINT BELT ON THESE LIFTS WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE LIFT FROM MOVING, UNLESS THE TONGUE OF THE BELT IS FULLY ENGAGED AND LATCHED IN THE BUCKLE. RICON HAS DISCOVERED, HOWEVER, THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE OPERATOR TO INSERT THE BELT TONGUE INTO THE BUCKLE WITHOUT FULLY ENGAGING THE LATCHING MECHANISM. IN THIS CASE, THE RESTRAINT BELT WOULD APPEAR TO BE LATCHED, AND THE OPERATOR COULD RUN THE LIFT. IF THE RESTRAINT BELT TONGUE IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED INTO THE RESTRAINT BELT BUCKLE, AND LATCHED, THE LIFT MAY OPERATE WITH AN OCCUPANT ON THE PLATFORM.
Risk: THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE WITHOUT THE RESTRAINT BELT PROPERLY BUCKLED.
2008 GIRARDIN G5
112 vehicles affected
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
CORP. MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2008 AND 2009 GIRARDIN G5 SCHOOL BUSES BUILT ON GM AND FORD CUTAWAY CHASSIS FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2008 THROUGH DECEMBER 16, 2008. THE SHEET METAL BELOW THE WINDOW INSIDE THE BUS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE JOINT STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 221, "SCHOOL BUS BODY JOINT STRENGTH." THERE IS NO ADHESIVE ON THE JOINT BETWEEN THE TWO EMBOSSED ALUMINUM SHEETS.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE EMBOSSED ALUMINUM SHEET MAY SEPARATE FROM THE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT STRUCTURE AND CAUSE INJURY TO BUS PASSENGERS.
Complaints
No complaints found.